1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to plumbing components, and more particularly to an air gap adapted to be used in conjunction with devices which require an air gap, such as reverse osmosis water purification units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As concern about the quality of our nations' drinking water grows, increasing numbers of individuals are purchasing drinking water in bottles, or treating their tap water themselves. These treatment methods vary from simply filtering the tap water through fibrous filters to remove rust and sediment, to more costly carbon filters, which traps many organic molecules, heavy metals, and many microorganisms. After filtering, the cleaner water is routed to a clean water outlet. One cost effective means to create a very high quality of purified water is the use of reverse osmosis drinking water systems, which typically include a fibrous prefilter, a carbon filter, and lastly utilizes the effect of reverse osmosis to force pure water through a membrane and into a holding tank. The reverse osmosis method of water purification, as one of its sides effects, generates a considerably high percentage of waste water, or brine, as it is commonly referred to, which is shunted to a drain line. By law, this brine must be passed though an air gap before it is drained into a drain line to provide an anti-siphon break.
Several companies offer reverse osmosis faucets which directly incorporate air gaps into their water faucet designs. For example, the Touch-Flo Company, at 59 E. Orange Grove, Burbank, Calif. 91502, and Butler Water Quality Products, of 9430 Lurline Avenue, Chatsworth, Calif. 91311, offers several models of faucets directly incorporating air gaps. One problem with the air gap designs of these companies is that they all place the brine inlet and outlet lines too close to the purified water inlet line to the water faucet, which sometimes makes installation troublesome. Another problem is their relatively high cost. A company by the name "The Foundry," of 1384 N. Nova Road, Daytona Beach, Fla. 32117, offers an air gap in the form of a generally cylindrical spacer unit upon which a water faucet with an extra long shank is mounted. However, this adapter unit raises the level of the faucet substantially up above the sink level, over 2.54 cm (one inch), since its venting hole must by building code be at least an 2.54 cm above the level of the sink!, which is unattractive to some, and requires use of a water faucet with an extra long shank.
There accordingly remains a need for an air gap adapted which can be used with standard water faucets without costly built-in air gaps and with a pure water inlet shank of normal length, and which does not substantially raise the faucet from the sink.